1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a driving status discrimination device for use in controlling a power steering device, suspension mechanisms or the like in accordance with the driving status of a motor vehicle.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art:
Generally, the driving status of a motor vehicle is judged based upon the vehicle speed. In a known power steering device, for example, the result of such a judgement is utilized to control the assisting power in such a manner that the steering wheel is made light during a low speed running and heavy during a high speed running.
In the prior art wherein the driving status is judged based upon the vehicle speed as described above, the assisting power control, for instance, has such a problem that the control pattern of the assisting power relative to the vehicle speed, steering angle and the like is invariable regardless of whether the vehicle runs on a mountain road or a town street, thereby making it impossible to obtain an assisting power which meet the vehicle driving status. A similar problem arises in controlling the height of a vehicle or the rigidity or shock absorption capability of suspension mechanisms.
To solve the aforementioned problem, there has been developed a steering power control system wherein a plurality of control patterns defining various assisting powers are provided to be manually selected depending upon the driver's preference or the vehicle driving status. However, the manual selection of such control patterns disadvantageously causes the vehicle driver to make a correct judgement of the driving status as well as to do a timely manipulation, and the automatic judgement of the vehicle driving status is therefore needed to obviate the drawbacks attributed to the nature of manual selection.